Family remembers man struck by vehicle on I-83 as 'great guy'

In July, Michael Scott Ruppert and several family members went to Gifford Pinchot State Park for the day.

Despite his physical ailments -- nagging injuries in both his back and knee -- he promised his nieces and nephews they would go, and he kept his word, spending the day swimming with them in the lake.

"That was the last big moment that we had together," his sister, Melissa Ruppert, said Sunday. "That was the last time that we actually saw him smile."

On Oct. 27, Ruppert, of the 1400 block of Conewago Avenue, Newberry Township, died. He was 24.

His body was found in the southbound lanes of Interstate 83, struck by at least one vehicle, according to the York County Coroner's Office.

Throughout his life, Ruppert remained close with his mother, Dianne Ruppert, his sister Melissa, and all of his nieces and nephews, they said.

"He was a terrific uncle to my kids, and was just an all-around great guy," Melissa Ruppert said. "Mike and I were really close -- we'd call each other almost every day. He was always there for me."

Ruppert's mother, Dianne, called him "her baby."

"I went to North Carolina (several years ago), and he followed me there," Dianne Ruppert said. "Not too long after I came back, he came back ... he missed me too much."

Last month, when Dianne Ruppert had gall bladder surgery, her son was there for her, taking care of chores around the house so she could recuperate in bed, she said.

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"It was the first time in his life he did dishes," she said.

Mother and son enjoyed watching television shows together -- his favorite was "Deadliest Catch," she said.

Ruppert also enjoyed hanging out with his two dogs, a female pit bull named Sincere, and a female Plott Hound named Zoey, Dianne Ruppert said.

While in high school, Ruppert was into lifting weights, once attempting a very heavy lift and injuring his back. He endured two surgeries on it, but years later, when the pain remained, he refused any further surgery, Dianne Ruppert said.

In addition, while living in Arkansas, Ruppert was in an ATV crash in which he seriously injured his knee, she said.

The injuries severely hampered his mobility, and caused him to grow depressed, unable to enjoy playing with his nieces and nephews as much, Dianne Ruppert said.

"I had to watch him cry -- he could not play with the grandkids the way he wanted to," Dianne Ruppert said.

Ruppert had also started experiencing some mental difficulties -- Dianne and Melissa Ruppert described them as "manic episodes."

"He refused help," Melissa Ruppert said. "We tried and tried and he just wouldn't do it."

Still, in the days since his passing, his family has tried to focus on the good times.

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